The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-05-14
JOHN GREENLEAF ADAMS.

A rare and beautiful spirit; soul aglow
with devotion and love; Christian poet,
student and thinker; preacher Of direct,
earnest eloquence; pastor who served
his people with constant fidelity; an her.
aid of righteousness and social reform;
one whose youth was consecrated to the
ministry of Univer5alism, and who in age
was found still faithful; man always
amiable, gentle and kind hearted, with
the love of a ST. John for his church, and
an Abou Ben Adhem for humanity; one
who houored the church by spotless
life and holy temper; faithful friend,
tender and affectionate husband and
devoted father,-5uch was the man who
has passed from us in the death, on
Wednesday, May 4, at his home in Mel
rose Highlands, Mass, OF Rev. JOHN
GREENLEAF ADAMS, ID. D., in the seventy
seventh year OF his age. OF him we may
| truly write: blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord. Yea, saith the Spirit,
for they rect from their labors and their
works do follow them
For nearly two years DR.. Adams has
been an invalid, suffering from incurable
disease. His death was not, therefore,
unexpected. His prolonged sufferings
were painful in the extreme, but they
we're borne with Christian patience and
resignation. A naturally strong consti-
tuition and we'll preserved physical sys-
tenn made the advances of death unusu-
ally trying. A vigorous battle was fought
out to almost the last in his sick chamber;
but the unequal conflict ended, and the
sufferer was released, Wednesday last,
from the struggle To those who have
watched the insidious progress of the dis
ease, and who witnessed the sufferings it
entailed, the relief of death was most well
come. It is sad, however, to think that
life SO honorable and career 30 valua-
BILE to the world closed amid such bodily
sufferings. Enlargement of the heart,
with attendant dropsical troubles, was
the cause of death.
DIR. Adams was one of the most widely
beloved of the Universalist clergy, and
from early manhood always occupied
prominent positions in the ministry. He
was representative in the best sense of
the Universalist church. His friends
could always point to him with pride and
satisfaction as a model preacher and pas
tor His pulpit instructions were always
adapted to the wants of Christian peo-
pie, and his parishes uniformly prospered
under his faithful ministry. As pastor
he was the friend and adviser of his peo-
pie, and they grew to regard him with af-
fectionate reverence. Religion was not
with DR.. Adams an official ministration. 1t
was part of himself, and his own strong
convictions OF it's worth and value as in
terpreted by Universalism, made his min
istry successful in the highest sense. He
was always the devout pastor, who al
lured to brighter worlds and led the way"
The church was to him a Christian home
and his people the family. In the Sun
dey-school and the Conference meeting
be was as much at home as in the pulpit.
He was kindled into rapture by the melo-
dy OF Christian song, and in prayer and
praise he found constant delight and re.
freshment. A poet of no mean order, he
has contributed many beautiful hymns
to enrich our church services, and sew
eral OF these hymns will keep his memo
ry green while our church epdures. In
association with DIR. Chaplin he compiled
the adams and Chaplin Hymns" which
for nearly generation was the standard
hymn-book of the church. He was the
author of nearly dozen volumes-main-
ly on themes of practical religion-which
have had a wide circulation and done
good service for the church. His books
were always popular with Universalist
readers. His "Happy Death Scenes" and
practical Hints to Universalists" were
the earlier books from his prolific pen;
others followed in rapid succession, his
last work being the Fifty Notable |
Years" in which he reviewed the second
half of the century Of American Uniyers-
alism and gave interesting biographies of
the preachers.
DR.. Adams's ministry was mainly spent |
in New England. He was, however, for